New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-07
COMMENCEMENT AT TUSKEGEE.
A PIONEER SCHOOL IL THE BLACK BELT.
ESTABLISHED BY A NEGRO FOE NgGEogs-ITs PEIN-
CfPIEs AND PROGRESS.

| ESTABLISHED BY NEGRO FOE NgGEoEs-ITs PRlN-
ciPLEs AND PROGRESS.
TCsKRGsE, May 3O.-The ignorance and rhiifiess-
OF the negroes who density populate tho BLACK
Belt Of Alabama and the conditions, physical moral
and pc itioli. under ahch t5ey forced To hvc'
to the prosperity aud progress Of all the
surrounding region II those places TO he kept
from u barbarisn eqEa almost 10 African savagery
there is no way 10 do il but by sending into them
co"red teachers, educated not only in tho branches
taught IN tue common and high sch DOs lat trained
also TO industrial pursuits and abo to support them
selVes not only bv thei teaching. but by the hoe or
tho hammer OF The Jorge Aud ,achers Of this kind
must have too real missionary spirit must he ready
and willing work for their people and take their
risks getting any pay in this world ii teachers
OF this kind could be scattered through the Black
Belt. the danger would be- ayertcd until they arc,
there Is little hope Tor these poor negroes.
This fact was noticed by the Alabama Legislature
years ago and as result in the year lsSl $1,000
was appropriated Tor the establishment OF normal
school Tor the training oi colorei teachers. 1t was
decided to psoe the school ut Tuskegce spot In the
Black Bolt rhch seemed advantageous for the rur-
pose. This school has been operation for
about six years. II was Organized by Mr. Booker l.
Washington, negro. a Hampton graduate, On July
4, 1881, In cploted Baptist church for the State
appropriated its fund for teachers salaries but made
provision Tor school honse or apparatus. Mr.
Washington set TO work with great tact and energy
securing the good will OF both whites and blacks at
the start. by his manincss Gcntleness strong intel
lectua qualities and great carncstness Of purpose By
this help OF Northern friends he succeeded in purchas
ing Tor the school old plantation. aud upon this,
Northern benevcleuce put up the necessary build
ings ana established certain desired industries. To-
day tho school employs corps OF twenty teachers,
all eolorcd, and has under its care in the various
classes about H75 students of both sexes. Tho in
dustrial system consisting OF eleven different depart
ments, gives to its students opportunity OF self
support during their school course. and opportu-
nry also learning useful trade during the time
that theJ spend in dtting themselves for teaching
few GAYS ago the school graduated its third GLASS,
sending ont nineteen stulcats 10 Join the fifteen
already in the field.
The teaching In the clnssrooms in the morning of
commencement day was Dot!ceably good and
thorough the recitations bright and interesting The
classroom3 and industrial departments were
throngcd all day by the colored people from oil the
country round about, who had como in to zee what
their children ware dong in tho school and 10 wonder
at heights OF knowledge to which they had attained
IL Is study TO watch thu poor, wJr pathetic faces
OF tho older ones lighted up with CLEAN o! the new
light that has dawncd upon their children Dis
yer n wob. n generation, SAYS one delighted Old
lady to me, dey doesn't preciate dere ,vsntages.'
and she swings her eorpuent person ont OF the room
where her grandson hos been recit.ng geometry
The aiternu exercises In the rough wooden tent
built especially Tor the occasion were very much IKE
the rhetorical exercise. OF any school OF SIMILAR
character anywhere. The speeches were we'll written
aud carefully thought ont, the delivery good the
girls were womanly. the boys manly. The audience
l. the part In tho show that is most likely to win the
attention Of visitor for II Is the bacSg ground of the
school il shows the past which the school Is the
present and future and tho IA" Inatsr from wnioh
the sol ools work must derive its flushed product.
There are about q thousand people In the great
audience hall and fur as the eye can see thr0ngn
the doorway an eager crowd stands hoping 10 cnten
from without word dropped by the speakers
within. There are one OF two white mon IN the Hud
ence but that l. all the rest nrc black They are Oh
all ages. from the old gentleman who assured me In
the morning that we was never 100 old 70 learn.
even II We lives TO be as old Thurusalem. Gown 70
1. tt4to hnU ubo gifO ft
and who have TO he occasionally silenced by some
elder in the company. .
more ,apt or attentive audience l never snw
They listen with oIen months upturned, eyes, and
with occasional nterjectons or grunts oil approval
Once VI twice older member oil the endience'
hearing rhy thmic sentence or rising ana ihihhg
OF the speakers vDce breaks into frenzy OF iefOr
A. Il nt n religious meeting and gets happy IN
true Methodist style One old aUnty whose wistiul
face has been Fixed the platform uninteTruptedIy
through the whole series OF speeches. who has risen
and ood noddng In time 10 the music during every
song IA particularly Impressed by the speeoh OF ths
orator OF the day. the Hon. Mr.. McElene, colored
member OF the Tennessee legislature Her Responses
and at last vheu ho begins that wcknown quotation
from The Building OF the SHIP Thou too sa'l on
o Ship Of State' she Is fairly carried OF her iret;
Her body sways backward and forward, her eyes MI
with teare while abe reiteIates at the end OF eaee
measure OF the verse Sail or ,sil on" There might
have been something comic obout II II II had not been
for the terrible pathos :. II,
And so the exercises close the crowd disperse slowly
and carry pack to their homes all through tue BLACK
Belt the hcpe and cheer that has come 10 them ana
10 all their race and TO all who are watching thet
race with sympathetic interest from this long Gay
spent al this Young but rapidly gov ing school 10
onote the words OF Dir. Washington Iuskesee pr1h-
cipnl Il Il supported by State aid, Northern bllan
tlropy and negro Iluck energy and muscle ~
BY the continual growth OF these forces that tue black
Belt Of Alabama Is to be redeemed from the danger
that nov threatens IL.